McKenzie Mitchell is always on the move with business in mind. Whether that be ring announcing for TNA, running her jewelry business Headline by MM, or even writing a coffee book. The latter, called “Threads of Triumph: Professional Wrestling’s Most Iconic Looks,” was a labor of love for the 31-year-old. It also combines her love and appreciation for what she is passionate about. For Mitchell, it’s surreal to be seeing a five-year vision realized with the project set for release next April and available for preorder now.
It all started with an idea pitched to WWE and other avenues, but the budding author wasn’t getting any traction. Doubters weren’t quite sure what the demographic would be for something based on pro wrestling gear. Mitchell was undeterred.
“I actually filmed a pilot with Johnny Gargano that lives somewhere within the WWE archives for an actual episode with WWE,” she recalled. “We filmed it, and it was great. The conversation just flowed. It was amazing. Then it just never found its footing . When I was released in 2023 I was like, “what do I want to do? I put that idea to work, and ‘Threads with McKenzie Mitchell’ was born. I got a lot of love then and traction.”
A sitdown with Natalya set the wheels in motion for what would become the book. The trailblazing former women’s champion encouraged Mitchell to pursue the concept further. This led to writing a full 30-page book proposal and securing a literary agent. “I got four offers in two weeks,” she said.
With an official offer in hand last October from publisher Chronicle Books, she got to work and began writing. Mitchell pulled out her proverbial rolodex meeting with the likes of Chris Jericho, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, and Rhea Ripley. Despite having a busy schedule, she would find time to write.
“It has been a lot of time and consumption of my life,” Mitchelle added. “(Husband) Vic [Joseph] and I took a cruise for my birthday in March. I was writing on the cruise. Literally, it was land, air, and sea, I have been writing this book almost in secret everywhere I am this year.”
Mitchell has been touched by the response from fans and those in the industry. Someone even said, ‘finally, a book for me.” It’s a gratifying feeling for her.
“It’s no secret I didn’t grow up watching professional wrestling, but I always loved the fashion side of professional wrestling,” she said. “That the wrestlers would wear and present themselves to an audience and that connection from a fan to a wrestler. A lot of times fans look at professional wrestlers and say, ‘I love this person,’ but they don’t know why they connect to them. This book really connects those dots. It comes from them wearing something and telling a story with it without them speaking at all.”
The book chronicles the evolution from the 1940s as professional wrestling entered television’s golden era into the colorful decades that followed. From Ric Flair and “Macho Man” Randy Savage to Chyna and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to Rey Mysterio and Bianca Belair, it’s a nostalgic trip down memory lane in a way never really done before.
“Gorgeous George was doing all these ideas. He was implementing these ideas that were so out-of-the-box and out of character and out of the norm at that timeframe,” Mitchell explained. “You’re able to take what he did and implement and see that in the Ric Flair’s and see that in the Charlotte Flair’s and see that within all these people that are making this path if you will that started back in the 1940s with Gorgeous George.
“It’s a story to be told, how we evolve as people, how fashion has evolved over time. But fashion in the sport of professional wrestling and pop culture. How these athletes and celebrity figures were doing things over time that stood out and were different and now we’re able to celebrate that path and honor what they did and we’re still able to see these moments laced if you will into the threads of the current professional wrestlers you’re seeing today in WWE, AEW, TNA, and all the major promotions. It started somewhere. It started back in the day.”
When it came to who should contribute the foreword, Mitchell knew she wanted a female voice to bring that unique perspective. After time and care went into choosing a name she slid into the DMs of Mercedes Moné.She was connected to Moné’s agent. Mitchell described the process as a seamless moment with a foreword sent to her within a week. The AEW TBS Champion was honored to have the opportunity. By the same token, having a marquee name certainly adds more bankability to the project.
“She has had such an amazing career in her own right going back to Sasha Banks and all that she has done in AEW and her time in Japan and the anime she brings to life as well,” Mitchell explained. “She is very true to who she is, and you are able to see that come across her character in any way she is presenting herself. I wanted this person to make sense for ‘Threads.’”